Julie Arduini's Blog, page 81

Book Review: Healing Love by Jennifer Slattery

Book Review: Healing Love by Jennifer Slattery

A news anchor intern has it all planned out, and love isn’t on the agenda.

Brooke Endress is on the cusp of her lifelong dream when her younger sister persuades her to chaperone a mission trip to El Salvador. Packing enough hand sanitizer and bug spray to single-handedly wipe out malaria, she embarks on what she hopes will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But Brooke is blindsided by the desperation for hope and love she sees in the eyes of the orphans she encounters. And no less by the connection she feels with her handsome translator. As newfound passion blooms, Brooke wrestles with its implications for her career dreams.

Ubaldo Chavez, teacher and translator, knows the struggle that comes with generational poverty. But he found the way out – education – and is determined to help his students rise above.

When he agrees to translate for a mission team from the United States he expects to encounter a bunch of “missional tourists” full of empty promises. Yet an American news anchor defies his expectations, and he finds himself falling in love. But what does he have to offer someone with everything?

HEALING LOVE is not your average missions story. I loved the complex baggage Brooke brings before she ever steps on the plane to watch over her sister as they travel to El Salvador. They are orphans and Brooke lives in fear in her day-to-day life. She has dreams regarding her career, but she’s got her sister to worry about. The last thing she’s got on her agenda is falling in love.

Brooke doesn’t just fall in love with a person, she falls in love with a people. The transformation in both storylines is beautiful.

Her career goals, her new passion, her colleagues, family and heart all collide when Brooke needs to determine her future. I definitely felt her conflict and was moved by it.

This is a quick read because I wanted to learn what was going to happen. I believe you’ll feel the same, too.

Purchase HEALING LOVE HERE

I received a copy of HEALING LOVE in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

Tags:  book review, Book Review: Healing Love by Jennifer Slattery, El Salvador, family, Healing Love, Jennifer Slattery, Julie Aduini, Missions, orphans, sisters




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 Social Media and Writing--What? Why?  Mother of Pearl: Rhonda Shrock's What I Didn't Know  Adventures in Odyssey Summer Challenge 2016  Thankful: The Basics  Why is Loneliness So Hard to Talk About by Cherie BurbachCopyright © Julie Arduini [Book Review: Healing Love by Jennifer Slattery], All Right Reserved. 2017.

The post Book Review: Healing Love by Jennifer Slattery appeared first on Julie Arduini.

Book Review: The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn

Finally, a Bible study that goes deep…

The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn

Frustrated with the watered-down, “light” Bible studies that are all too common, Erica Wiggenhorn wanted to write a study that went deep. She wanted to take readers verse-by-verse through a whole book of the Bible, offering theological and historical comments in each lesson while remaining practical and relational.

The Unexplainable Church is the result, and it offers readers two great takeaways. It will teach them by example how to study the Bible deeply, and it will challenge them toward critical life-change: submitting their will to the mission of Jesus, who gives life its fullest meaning.

The message of The Unexplainable Church is that the early church didn’t grow because Peter and Paul were so amazing, but because average people were transformed by God and brought together in His work. This 10-week inductive study of Acts 13–28 will sweep readers into the great drama of the Kingdom, inspiring them to live together in the power of the Spirit and accomplish what could never be done alone.

I’ve been looking for a Bible study that takes Scripture I’m familiar with but challenges me to dig deeper and learn more. Something that gives me a glimpse of history but also forces me to take those amazing experiences and apply it to my life.

 

That Bible study is The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn. This is a 10 week study of Acts 13-28 and focuses on “Reigniting the mission of the early believers.” This is a meaty study that has 50 lessons over 10 weeks, going through the Acts chapters verse-by-verse. There are a lot of questions to answer and invitations to learn even more at the author’s website.

 

It’s obvious Erica Wiggenhorn knows the Bible, and she’s very good at engaging readers and making sure they don’t just grow in the Lord, but that they know His-Story. Although I am not finished with the study, I find it deep, intensive, and thought-provoking. No one can read Acts without being captivated, even if someone has no desire to know Christ, the mere history of it is amazing. I believe all participants are going to finish this study with a deeper perspective and appreciation of the early church.

I received this study from the publisher in exchange for a review. The thoughts expressed are my own.

PURCHASE THE UNEXPLAINABLE CHURCH HERE

Tags:  Acts, Bible study, Book Review: The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn, early believers, Erica Wiggenhorn, history, Julie Arduini




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 I Have a New Title...  WFW: You Shall Not Pass  Thankful: Pandora  A2Z Meme: Really Quite Random  COTT ANNOUNCES CONTEST FOR UNPUBBED WRITERSCopyright © Julie Arduini [Book Review: The Unexplainable Church by Erica Wiggenhorn], All Right Reserved. 2017.

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Book Review: Included in Christ by Heather Holleman

A new kind of Bible study…

After the success of her first two books, Heather Holleman received many requests to write a Bible study. And as a college English instructor, she wanted to make sure it really taught and didn’t simply inform. So she surveyed several women about what their dream study would look like, then got to work.

The result is Included with Christ, a narrative-driven study where you can bring your life before Scripture in the context of community. Together women will discern their personal shadow narratives—ways they are living outside of their identity in Christ—and then rewrite those narratives according to biblical truth.

This in-depth, 8-week study in Ephesians will equip women with six “signature stories” of God’s work in their lives—helping them combat exclusion, loneliness, weakness, decay, emptiness, and silence.

Designed to facilitate honest sharing and help you internalize biblical truth, Included in Christ will provide community and connectedness as well as spiritual nourishment. It will also guide you in how to share your story and the hope of Christ with someone who doesn’t yet know Him.

Included in Christ by Heather Holleman

Heather Holleman is a new author to me, and I didn’t know she wrote books before being asked to create a Bible study. Included in Christ is an 8 week Bible study that explores the truths from Ephesians without being overwhelming. It is written as if the author were sitting down with us. She includes her own story that makes her very relatable. Yet, Scripture is explained and explored as she takes us through Ephesians. Ephesians isn’t new to me, yet Heather pointed out things I never thought about or saw the way she explained. I truly have learned a lot, and for review purposes, I am not all the way done, but I wanted to be timely in getting this out. I am really impressed in what I’ve read so far.

The topic is one all women can relate to. We all want to belong and be included. There are lies we have believed, and this study takes those lies and exposes them, giving us the truth in Scripture that has been there for us all along.

I highly recommend this study to any woman who struggles to belong, no matter what their level with the Bible is. It’s a down-to-Earth study that includes places to journal thoughts and answer questions.

Honestly, it’s everything I’m looking for in a Bible study. I really think you will learn and be inspired just as I am.

I received INCLUDED IN CHRIST from the publisher for review purposes, and all thoughts expressed here are my own.

Purchase Included in Christ HERE

Tags:  accepted, Bible, Bible study, Bible study for women, book review, Book Review: Included in Christ by Heather Holleman, Ephesians, Heather Holleman, included, Julie Arduini, women




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 Book Review: Lavender Rain by Rita Garcia  A Total and Complete Victory  How I Received a Jumpstart  Reviews You Won't Soon Forget  Secretly Smitten Live Webcast February 5thCopyright © Julie Arduini [Book Review: Included in Christ by Heather Holleman], All Right Reserved. 2017.

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Book Review: Why the Universe Bothers to Exist by David V. McCorkle

A Striking Breakthrough in the Origins Controversy! Steinhardt and Turok’s proposed ekpyrotic universe model fits the Genesis account! The implications are profound. The book Why the Universe Bothers to Exist: Theistic Determinism, Evidences and Implications by David V. McCorkle, PhD. is based upon this observation. It explains the likely location and physics of heaven. It proposes that we have heavenly avatars (biblical spirit bodies) close by, but through a fourth spatial dimension. Baby Brady with simulated spirit body. This book proposes answers to many other questions that theists have pondered. What happened to the Garden of Eden? Might it still exist? If so, where? How could information of our personal identity be preserved after our physical death? Why will “redeemed” humans need to be resurrected if they are already in heaven? Why will a new heaven eventually be needed? Numerous other concepts are also dealt with, such as the following. In consideration of Heisenberg uncertainty, what maintains order in the universe? Do natural laws determine outcomes, or does the consistency of outcomes determine the laws? What factor determines the decoherence outcome of probability waves so that consistent, orderly eigenstates result? Cannot this factor be recognized as God thereby actualizing his intentions: theistic determinism? Natural law is thus the outcome of God “holding all things together” (Col. 1:17). It is then natural for God to work through natural process. In this perspective, how is it that new species of organisms originate? Can the process be observed? And what of Adam and Eve as the first sentient humans? In addition to the significance of a message from ancient Babylon, and an account of how what is termed “socionics” relates to the “tragedy of the commons” principle, a near miraculous adventure in Idaho’s Lemi Mountains near Sacajawea’s birthplace is described and credited to divine providence. All of this and more thought-provoking issues are presented in this book with the intent of resolving the origins controversy, but also of planting ideas for further consideration in biblical context. David V. McCorkle Publisher’s website: http://sbpra.com/DavidVMcCorkle

This extremely well-written, deeply researched book asks some great questions about God, the Bible, and questions about the world that the Bible covers. I confess the author is so well-versed in his writing that as a non-academic, I struggled with some of the material presented. That’s on me, because the author covers the questions, the evidence, theories, and implications in detail. It’s obvious he spent a lot of time creating this book and cares deeply about the topics.

Here is what you’ll see in the chapters:

Why Read This Book?
Has God Left His “Footprint”?
Is Sentience Transcendent? Is God Truly Infinite?
Biblical Allegory in Physical Science
The First Chapter of Genesis and the Ekpyrotic Model Biblical Allegory in Biological Science Context
The Biblical Chronological Modification Model Compared to the Instantaneously Complete Model of Creation
Scientific Evidence Supporting the Chronological Modification Creation
Model Niche Distinctions of the Machaon Swallowtails of the Pacific Northwest A Context for Homo Speciation
Speciation and Niche Distinction in Homo Sapiens
“Socionics” and the Tragedy of the Commons Principle
Social Symbiosis or “Sociobiotics”
 “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven”
Heaven: Evidences and Implications

The sub-title to me was most revealing: Theistic Determinism, Evidences and Implications—A Worldview Proposal. The research presented was worldview, and religion of course was part of that research. Yet, with the questions asked, I believe faith is needed beyond a religion to answer such important questions. A personal relationship with God, the Creator.

If you are an academic sort that loves science, research, and exploring religion, this is a great book to discover. If you are seeking answers on a personal level, this is a great read, but I suggest you complement it with a chapter a day for a month from the Bible’s Book of John. If you want to know more about heaven on a personal level, I also suggest complementing this book with Randy Alcorn’s Heaven.

To Purchase Why the Universe Bothers to Exist, click here.

I was given a copy of the book by the publisher in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and are of my own free will.

Tags:  A Christmas Chance. Julie Arduini, academic, Bible, book review, Book Review: Why the Universe Bothers to Exist by David V. McCorkle, David V. McCorkle, faith, God, heaven, religion, Science, seeking




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   Match Made in Heaven Releases Tomorrow  Acrostic Poem by Penny McGinnis  WFW: Twice as Many Have's  COTT: Sarah and the Widow's Mate by Gay N. LewisCopyright © Julie Arduini [Book Review: Why the Universe Bothers to Exist by David V. McCorkle], All Right Reserved. 2017.

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Part 2: God Bless the Broken Road by Jennifer Dornbush

Earlier this month Jennifer Dornbush shared the surrender story behind her screenplay and novel, God Bless the Broken Road. Her story was so interesting I decided to take a little more time to get to know her and the behind the scenes history with God Bless the Broken Road (GBBR.)

Jennifer was gracious enough to share more below.

What inspired you to write this series, or this novel in particular?

 

God Bless the Broken Road (GBBR) actually began as a feature film script three years ago. My friend and director, Harold Cronk, who is best known for the God’s Not Dead movies, called me one fine summer evening. He pitched me the seed of the idea and asked what I thought? I said I thought it sounded like a solid story. And then he asked if I wanted to write it with him. Of course, I said yes.

 

We finished the first draft of the script on Christmas Eve, 2014. Over the course of the next year we refined it while the producers rallied the funds. In the spring of 2016 Harold shot God Bless the Broken Road.

 

A few months earlier, as we finished the script version, I talked with the producers about penning a novel version. They thought it would be a great idea. So my agent, Julie Gwinn, put a pitch together and while we were filming I quickly wrote the first three chapters. Within two weeks Julie had procured a couple contracts. We happily chose Simon & Schuster. I spent last summer scribing the novel and here it is a year later.  The film version is also “in the can” as we say and will be releasing in 2018.

 

 

GBBR Novel Synopsis:

God Bless the Broken Road is a heartwarming story about a grieving army widow who finds her way back to her daughter, her faith, and a new love. Amber Hill never imagined she would find herself a war widow and single mom. She feels robbed and is angry at God, and she doesn’t know how to help her nine-year-old daughter Bree through her grief. Where, Amber wonders, are the Sunday dinners, the picnics, the bike rides, the time together they should be enjoying as a family? Instead, Amber is left with a folded flag and an empty heart.

 

Cody Jackson has a death wish. Or at least that is what his manager thinks, as Cody pushes his race car and his luck in every race. Is he hiding something, or just daring God and other racers to end the path of destruction he finds himself on as he rounds the last turn? When Cody encourages Bree to join in a Derby car race for local youth, she finds a way to channel her grief into something good—and she likes that her mom and Cody are starting to become friends—or maybe something more.

 

Cody invites Amber and Bree to see him race, but as they watch Cody narrowly escape a devastating crash, she realizes she can’t lose another person in her life. It’s better to be alone than feel that type of grief again. But when Amber hits rock-bottom, she cries out to God and asks for help. With her faith, her life, her family, and her heart hanging in the balance, Amber is forced to decide between the broken road she knows so well and trusting that God will provide a new path.  Based on the Rascal Flatts song, God Bless the Broken Road is a moving, heart-stirring story about the power of faith to change a life. The movie version is coming 2018.

 

PURCHASE GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD HERE

 

Tags:  author, faith, Jennifer Dornbush, Julie Arduini, military widow, motion picture, novel, Part 2: God Bless the Broken Road by Jennifer Dornbush, Rascal Flatts, screenplay




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Comments:  0 (Zero), Be the first to leave a reply!Take a look!  
 Movie Review: Women of Faith: An Amazing Joyful Journey  An Interview with Bestselling Author Gina Holmes  Book Review: Lady Blues: Forget-Me-Not by Aaron Paul Lazar  COTT Guest Blogger Michelle Massaro: Why Do We Love To Read Gut-Wrenching Passages?  A Lesson on Trust by Jennifer SlatteryCopyright © Julie Arduini [Part 2: God Bless the Broken Road by Jennifer Dornbush], All Right Reserved. 2017.

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Road Trip of Delusion by Jean Ann Williams

Road Trip of Delusion by Jean Ann Williams

Thanks, Jean Ann for providing this character interview with Kari Rose Holt.

I have Kari Rose Holt from Pismo Beach, California, here at the Shasta City hospital. Single-handedly, Kari drove her granny’s 1960 Cadillac through a blizzard of the century.

How are you today, Kari?

Tired.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you find yourself caught in this blizzard?

Well, uh, it’s a really long story, but, my great-granny decided to take a 500-mile trip to see her son, my papa, Joel. At three in the ridiculous morning, as my sister, Leah, has said. I think I was so sleepy, I couldn’t think straight and decided she couldn’t leave my sisters and me. After a while, I realized my mistake because our parents would be furious.

When did you realize this?

Only a few miles down the road, especially when my two sisters began complaining about the trip.

As the eldest sister, did you feel a responsibility to have your grandmother turn back for home?

I did. But, Granny was determined and even had a crying fit, and so we kept going. By the time the Cadillac broke down on the freeway, I was biting my fingernails. Also, I realized then the trip was about over because of the car.

This did not stop the trip, though, did it?

No, it didn’t. It seemed nothing could stop the trip. When the auto shop replaced the part needed, I made plans for Papa to meet us partway.

By then, something happened and you took charge. Would you tell us about this?

Well, yeah, I had to drive the Caddy because Granny had fallen and could no longer drive. I planned to go as far as the next motel, but the storm had hit and a blizzard was coming.

So you drove in a snow storm, correct?

Yes, and I didn’t have my license. It was Leah who pushed me to drive, because we were at a rest stop and we needed to get to a motel.

Did you feel it was wrong to drive without a license?

Oh, yeah! But, the weather scared me more. A lady we met back at the auto shop told us she feared it would be a blizzard like the one this area had back in 1860. I believed her, and so this pressured me to make my decision.

Tell us about when the blizzard hit. Where were you?

Oh, it was scary. I was driving really slowly as the traffic finally moved on the freeway. Snow was so thick it was hard to see even with the windshield wipers. This snowplow pulled off the freeway as it was plowing the snow. I quick followed it to an off ramp. We ended at the top of the hill at a vacant lodge. We were stranded there for three days, but safe from the weather.

What helped you the most with all the decisions you had to make?

Prayer.

Really? Just simple prayer?

Yeah. I even remembered a scripture while the Caddy tires skidded up the hill toward the lodge. I just knew God could help us.

And did God help you?

Yes. He helped me to make hard decisions. He sent the plow guy, Derrick, to help us get to the lodge. He gave me courage to do hard things like climb a roof. I feel braver now. He helped to save Leah from freezing and from me suffocating in a pile of snow. And, he heard our prayers for Granny here in the hospital. She’s going to be okay.

Because of the changes in you, do you still regret taking the trip?

Yep. Mom was really mad at me, but I think she’s starting to forgive me for my decision to go with Granny.

Kari, thank you for answering my questions, and I’m glad you and your family are safe. Watch this interview on tonight’s local weather news.

I’m going to be on TV? I wonder if Harry will see me.

Who’s Harry?

Kari bowed her head and grinned.

 

Bio: Author Jean Ann Williams, the eldest in a large family, enjoys digging into her fascinating childhood to create stories for children. Having written over three hundred articles for children and adults, Road Trip of Delusion is her second book for ages twelve to ninety-nine. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She writes regularly at Putting on the New blog, Book Fun magazine, and her own Real Stories for Real Girls website. Jean Ann and her husband live on one acre in Southern Oregon where they raise a garden, goats, and chickens. Her favorite hobbies are hiking through the woods, practicing archery, and her favorite game is Scrabble.

Purchase Links:

https://tsw.createspace.com/title/6697585

https://goo.gl/mxJVKn

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/road-trip-of-delusion-mrs-jean-ann-williams/1126630252?ean=9780997701623

Road Trip Trailer: https://youtu.be/jYXeRQfqnvc

Book Fun Author Page: http://www.bookfun.org/group/jean-williams-author

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14840858.Jean_Ann_Williams

 

Tags:  character interview, fiction, guest blogger, jean Ann Williams, Julie Arduini, Kari Rose Holt, New Release, Road Trip of Delusion by Jean Ann Williams




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 Starting Over  I Recommend: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month  Character Confession: And There You'll Find Me  12 Pearls of Christmas---Tracey Eyster's Simple or Sparkle  Sabbath Sunday: I Got ThisCopyright © Julie Arduini [Road Trip of Delusion by Jean Ann Williams], All Right Reserved. 2017.

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Don’t Miss This: Season of Hope by Sara Jane Jacobs

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 
 

 

There’s so much going on with characters that we

don’t always get to read about in the book.  Here’s a short excerpt from

Amanda’s journal the night before she left for her summer in New York.

June 1
Tonight, Tyler and I took his truck out into the

pasture for our “anti-prom” and watched the meteor shower. I tried not to think

how the life we have shared here on Nathan’s Mountain for the past ten years is

over. Tomorrow I leave for Knoxville with Mom and Dad so I can catch a flight

to New York.

Our friends crashed our little party. I loved seeing them but I

wanted so much to be alone with Tyler on our last night here. It made for a

bittersweet evening. Shouldn’t I be excited? I mean, isn’t everyone excited

when high school is finally over? I am looking forward to New

York. Phoebe intrigues me, and I want to see what life might be like if I

eventually get accepted at Barnard. This will give me a chance to see what it

would be like living in the city.

But the reality is that at the end of the summer I’ll be coming back here and Tyler will be gone. He’s been my best friend for ten years. I’ve never even let myself imagine what life on this mountain would be like without him here. My heart sinks at the thought of

sitting on the porch at night knowing that he isn’t at the bottom of the

mountain, somewhere behind the soft glow of his porch light. No longer will he

leave here from one of our long talks and signal me with the two flashes of

that light to let me know he’s home and wish me, “sweet dreams.” There will be

no reason to rush inside to send two flashes back to him. Our sweet little

tradition is over forever. How did I not see this coming? Why have I been so

absorbed with the busyness of life that I failed to notice I was about to

experience some of the most routine things for the last time.
I’m exhausted and I need to get some sleep. I’msure the morning light will bring with it a more optimistic perspective.

                                                                                                Amanda

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

June 26 – Truth

to Shine
June 27 –

ASC Book Reviews
June 28 –

Meagan Davenport
June 29 –

Linda Shenton Matchett
June 30 –

Barbara

Brutt
July 3 –

Ink From an Earthen Vessel
July 4 –

Faithfully

Bookish
July 5 – A Real Writer’s Life
July 6 –

Smiling Book Reviews
July 7 –

Bookworm

Mama
July 10 –

Tell the World
July 11 –

2014

and Beyond
July 12 –

Tammy

Karasek
July 13 –

Rebecca DeMarino
July 14 –  Julie Arduini
July 17 –

Laura

Bennet
July 18 –

All Betts Are Off
July 19 –

Rachel

Scott McDaniel
July 20 –

Rebecca Van Daniker
July 21 –

Leslie L. Mckee





This blog tour was coordinated by A Latte of Literature Blog

Tour Services. Find out more:
http://christiswrite.blogspot.com/p/life-literature-blog-tour-services-for.html















Tags:  A Latte of Literature Blog Tour Services, author, blog tour, Don't Miss This: Season of Hope by Sara Jane Jacobs, fiction, giveaway, Julie Arduini, romance, Season of Hope




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 COTT: It's a Clash Vote!  Guest Blogger Author Susan May Warren: Take a Chance on Claire  Author Melissa Foster Shares Latest Book: Have No Shame  Character Confession: When God Says No and You Say Thanks  The Dandelion PerspectiveCopyright © Julie Arduini [Don't Miss This: Season of Hope by Sara Jane Jacobs], All Right Reserved. 2017.

The post Don’t Miss This: Season of Hope by Sara Jane Jacobs appeared first on Julie Arduini.

From the Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose

From Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose by Debra Gray Elliott

Forty years ago, at the age of sixteen my life changed and I found myself in the ashes of pity. My life took a dark turn when my father passed away several months before I turned sixteen. My mother decided she did not want to live in our home state any longer and moved me across the country. This is where my life took a wrong turn.

 

Except from the book:

From Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose by Debra Gray Elliott

 

The year was 1977, the month and date: November 4th, I was sixteen; technically a teenager, but still a child.   I was taken for my abortion.  I have tried to block out the memories, but I cannot forget the cold metal table where I had lain or the baby being sucked from my womb through a vacuum tube. My eyes fixated on the fluid and blood sucked into the glass canister. All I could see were the demons that had taken over my life instead of the love I deserved. The painful, horrific memories are forever seared in my mind, thoughts, and soul.

 It was in my pain and grief through post-abortion recovery, I started writing about my journeys and how God led me through the ashes into beauty. The end result of my grief was hope and healing. It is hope and healing that I want to give to other women who are experiencing pain and grief.

From Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose brings emotionally charred women out of the pits of fire, through the ashes into the beauty of purpose. With the direction of God, hurting women weather through the painful journeys, become women of spiritual beauty, find God’s purpose, and learn to live again.

 

You are altogether beautiful, my darling there is no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7 NIV

 

Bio:

Christian author and speaker Debra Gray Elliott began writing at the age of fifteen after the death of her father. She began writing poetry as a way to cope with her grief. At the age of sixteen, Debra once again experienced grief when she was forced to have an abortion. It was in this grief that she found herself in the ashes of pity. Forty years later, Debra found her beauty of purpose.

 

From Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose is Debra’s first non-fiction Christian self-help, inspirational book to help women through the ashes of pity into the beauty of purpose after having an abortion.

 

Debra is currently working on a devotional for grieving parents. The loss of her daughter four years ago, has led Debra to want to help other grieving parents through their grief into hope.

 

She resides in Alabama with her husband and family.

 

Website: http://anngrayelliott1960.wixsite.com/authordebraelliott

 

Purchase From Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose

 

 

 

 

Tags:  abortion, abortion recovery, Debra Gray-Elliott, From Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose by Debra Gray-Elliott, guest blogger, healing, hope, Julie Arduini, non fiction, women




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 UBP12: Tell Me You Love Chocolate  Odyssey Adventure Club: Easter Activities for the Family  Rachel Hauck's The Wedding Dress  What's So Good About Good Friday?  Saturday Confession: The Letter I Imagine Jesus Giving to the Defeated OneCopyright © Julie Arduini [From the Ashes of Pity into Beauty of Purpose], All Right Reserved. 2017.

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Stopping by with Interview Announcement

Happy July!

I’m stopping in to say hello and let you know that Melanie Snitker interviewed me at her blog, and I really enjoyed it. I’d love for you to check it out!

Tags:  Julie Arduini, Stopping By with Interview Announcement




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 Character Confession: The Very Beautiful Servant  Character Confession:How Would You Handle It?  Sabbath Sunday: Hope  Sabbath Sunday: Thankful  Character Confession: When You Only See One ColorCopyright © Julie Arduini [Stopping by with Interview Announcement], All Right Reserved. 2017.

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Fiction Finder: July New Releases

July 2017 New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Contemporary Romance:

On Love’s Gentle Shore by Liz Johnson — When Natalie O’Ryan’s fiancé books their wedding in her hometown, Natalie didn’t know the only reception venue available would be an old barn belonging to Justin Kane–the best friend she left behind all those years ago after promising to stay. As they work together to get the dilapidated building ready for the party, Natalie and Justin discover the groundwork for forgiveness–and that there may be more than an old friendship between them. (Contemporary Romance from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)

Their Ranch Reunion by Mindy Obenhaus — Single mom Carly Wagner is surprised to learn she’ll have to share ownership of the home she’s inherited with her first love—and first heartbreak—Andrew Stephens. The man who fled their tiny Western town is back and standing in the way of her dreams to expand her B and B. Now a successful businessman, Andrew has eight weeks to buy Carly out. But Carly’s too stubborn to persuade—and too beautiful to ignore. When fire ravages her inn and she and her daughter move in to their shared property, Andrew’s in over his head. Time is running out and Andrew must decide: leave and chase another deal…or stay and chase Carly’s heart. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Time and Tide by Kristen Terrette — Recovering from addiction and a near death experience, Chad moves to Moanna Island, a small island close to Savannah off the Atlantic coast, to begin a job with his family’s real estate empire, a job he was supposed to have taken years ago. Free-spirited Ryan Mason is a Moanna local girl from a blue-collar family. She’s dropped her own dreams to help her father care for her schizophrenic brother. When Chad and Ryan meet at the rehabilitation center where her brother lives, feelings develop between them. Can their crazy worlds ever fit together once he learns her secret and she finds out he is the sole heir to the Cusher Empire? (Contemporary from Hartwood Publishing Group)

Just Look Up by Courtney Walsh — When a workaholic interior designer returns to her hometown to check on her brother’s welfare, she reconnects with a soldier, secretly in love with her, over a renovation project that will help the struggling town. (Contemporary Romance from Tyndale House)

Cozy Mystery:

A Tempting Taste of Mystery by Elizabeth Ludwig — Judging a pie contest leads Cheryl Cooper and friends into mayhem and mystery after someone begins methodically sabotaging the entries. (Cozy Mystery from Guideposts Publications)

Over Maya Dead Body by Sandra Orchard — FBI Special Agent Serena Jones arrives on Martha’s Vineyard with her family, ready for a little bit of R&R and a whole lot of reminiscing as they celebrate the engagement of an old family friend. But crime doesn’t take a vacation, and she’s soon entangled in an investigation of a suspicious death tied to an antiquities smuggling ring.When her investigation propels her into danger, Serena must stay the course and solve this case before anyone else dies. But just how is she supposed to do that when the two men in her life arrive on the scene, bringing with them plenty of romantic complications–and even a secret or two? (Cozy Mystery from Revell [Baker])

Historical Romance:

 

The American Conquest (Window to the Heart Sage, Book 3) by Jenna Brandt — Margaret must leave behind her title and wealth in Europe in order to escape and start a new life in the Colorado Territory. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection by Susanne Dietze, Michelle Griep, Anne Love, Gabrielle Meyer, Natalie Monk, Jennifer Uhlarik, Erica Vetsch, Jaime Jo Wright, and Kathleen Y’Barbo — Journey along in nine historical romances with those whose lives are transformed by the opulence, growth, and great changes taking place in America’s Gilded Age. Nine couples meet during these exhilarating times and work to build a future together through fighting for social reform, celebrating new opportunities for leisure activities, taking advantage of economic growth and new inventions, and more. Watch as these romances develop and legacies of faith and love are formed. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

A Rebel in My House by Sandra Merville Hart — Promises can be impossible to keep–especially when a Confederate soldier trapped behind enemy lines looks to a Gettysburg seamstress for help. (Historical Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

A Match for Melissa by Susan Karsten — Wanting a godly husband, Melissa’s only choice is to follow her father’s wishes, even when doing so may not achieve the desires of her heart. (Historical Romance from Prism Book Group [Pelican]).

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island by Carrie Fancett Pagels — Moor your heart on Mackinac Island along with resident sweetheart Maude Welling, an heiress trying to prove her worth by working incognito as a maid at the Grand Hotel. Meet Ben Steffans, a journalist posing as a wealthy industrialist who has come to the island to uncover a story about impoverished men pursuing heiresses at the famed hotel. Will a growing love between Maude and Ben be scuttled when truths are revealed in this Gilded Age romance? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Salvation by the Sea by Kristen Reed — Life has been anything but easy for Muirigan thanks to a series of life-altering calamities, but she’s found peace with her new, understated life by the sea. However, the maid’s past comes back to haunt her when she saves the shipwrecked Prince Halvard one morning. Failing to recognize one of his dearest childhood friends, the prince invites Muirigan to live at court as a reward for her valiant heroism. As the two reconnect, something deeper than friendship blossoms, but will their newfound affection survive when Muirigan’s lies are revealed and Halvard learns the truth about what has befallen since their tragic separation? (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Romantic Suspense:

Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble — As a 911 dispatcher, Dana Newell takes pride in being calm in tough circumstances. In addition to her emotionally-charged career, she’s faced enough emergencies in her own life. She recently escaped her abusive fiancé to move to tranquil Rock Harbor where she hopes life will be more peaceful. But the idyllic town hides more danger and secrets than it first appeared. Dana is continually drawn to her new friend Boone, who has scars inside and out. Then she answers a call at her job only to hear a friend’s desperate screams on the other end. Soon the pain in her past collides with the mysteries of her new home—and threatens to keep her from the future she’s always wanted. (Romantic Suspense from HarperCollins Christian Publishing [Thomas Nelson and Zondervan])

Speculative:

The Genesis Tree by Heather L.L. FitzGerald — Deception is rampant, the enemy is subtle, and love dares to tug at Sadie’s heart amid the turmoil that forces her and her family back to the Tethered World below. (Speculative/Contemporary Fantasy from Mountain Brook Ink)

Tags:  authors, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Colleen Coble, Courtney Walsh, Fiction Finder, Fiction Finder: July New Releases, Heather L.L. FitzGerald, Jenna Brandt, Julie Arduini, Kristen Reed, Kristen Terrette, Liz Johnson, Mindy Obenhaus, Sandra Melville Hart, Susan Karsten




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Comments:  0 (Zero), Be the first to leave a reply!Take a look!  
 Book Review: Arizona Cowboy by Jennifer Collins Johnson  Thankful: June Foster's Thankful for God's Intervention    Sabbath Sunday: He Will Direct Your Path  COTT: Child of Dust by Shoba SadlerCopyright © Julie Arduini [Fiction Finder: July New Releases], All Right Reserved. 2017.

The post Fiction Finder: July New Releases appeared first on Julie Arduini.